This invention relates to an improved earthen work with a wire mesh facing.
The construction of earthen works utilizing tensile members for earth stabilization by arranging such tension members generally horizontally in the earthen work bulk form or mass of particulate material is taught in various Vidal patents, including Vidal U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,326; U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,873 and others. Such an earthen work mass is thus comprised of tensile members or, alternatively, anchor members in combination with various types of precast panels or other facing members that define a front face of the earthen work mass. For example, an alternative to the use of panel members is disclosed in various patents including Hilfilker U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,686. There, a wire grid or mesh front facing construction is disclosed in combination with course rock backfill against the back side of the wire mesh front facing. The wire grid facing and earth stabilizing tensile members may comprise a continuous L-shaped grid as disclosed, for example, in Hilfiker U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,621. Layers of the L-shaped grids in combination with layers of particulate may thus define an entire mass or bulk form with a wire mesh facing.
Such various kinds of construction are also discussed in Pagano et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,673. These prior art constructions, particularly those which use or utilize a wire mesh front facing, are especially useful for temporary structures although it is possible to fabricate such an earthen work bulk form as a generally permanent structure.
The ease of construction of such an earthen work bulk form is often complicated because the wire mesh forms relied upon for the construction are large, bulky and sometimes unwieldy. Thus there has developed a need for an improved earthen work bulk form construction utilizing or having a wire mesh facing. The present invention comprises such a construction and a method for such a construction.